PLCB - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Tue, 14 Oct 2025 23:59:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 PLCB - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 When Washington Goes Dark: What the 2025 Federal Shutdown Means for Pennsylvania Breweries https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/10/05/when-washington-goes-dark-what-the-2025-federal-shutdown-means-for-pennsylvania-breweries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-washington-goes-dark-what-the-2025-federal-shutdown-means-for-pennsylvania-breweries Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:32:10 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16629 When Washington Goes Dark: What the 2025 Federal Shutdown Means for Pennsylvania Breweries

For beer lovers, the notion of a federal government shutdown might seem distant—something about national parks, IRS forms, and Congress fighting over budgets. But for breweries—especially craft breweries with narrow margins, seasonal releases, and regulatory dependencies—a shutdown can become existential. In October 2025, as federal funding lapsed and agencies began furloughing non-essential staff, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) effectively ground to a halt in its regulatory functions.

This post is a deep dive into how the shutdown ripples through the craft brewing world, nationally and in Pennsylvania, how breweries can respond, which ones may weather the storm best, and what the future might hold.

The Government Shut Down and Pennsylvania Breweries (2025 Edition)

1. Overview: The 2025 Shutdown and What’s Actually “Off the Shelf”

What triggered it

On October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government entered a partial shutdown after Congress failed to pass appropriation bills or a continuing resolution. The lapse in funding forced many federal agencies to suspend non-essential operations.

The TTB, a critical agency for breweries (and wineries, distilleries), publicly posted its shutdown plan: out of approximately 459 staffers, 398 would be furloughed, leaving only around 61 “excepted” employees to maintain legally required and essential operations.

What functions continue (and why)

The TTB’s “excepted” functions are narrowly defined. Among the tasks that will continue:

  • Processing excise tax returns that include remittance (i.e. payments)

  • Maintaining minimal computer / IT operations to avoid data loss or system collapse

  • Protecting statute expirations, liens, seizures, federal property — i.e. safeguarding legal and financial infrastructures

  • Criminal enforcement, to the extent required by statute, and operations that cannot legally pause

However, most of what breweries rely on will be suspended or delayed:

  • Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) reviews and approvals

  • Formula approvals

  • Brewer’s permit application or modification

  • Laboratory services and testing

  • Non-criminal investigations, audits, inspections

  • Administrative support, customer service, and non-statutory tasks

In effect, if you had a label to approve or a change in formula to submit, it’s on ice. You can submit electronically, but nothing moves until TTB is fully funded again.

Trade associations are already warning of a backlog when operations resume.


2. National Impact: The Shockwaves through the Craft Beer Industry

It’s easy to imagine that a government shutdown is a “Washington problem,” but the brewing sector is one of the less obvious industries hit hard and fast. Let’s trace the national picture before we localize to Pennsylvania.

Why breweries are uniquely vulnerable

  • Regulatory dependency: Breweries must interact with TTB for label approvals, permit changes, formula permissions, and compliance oversight. When TTB pauses, breweries cannot legally launch new products or adjust existing ones.

  • Seasonal and specialty beer timing: Many breweries operate on tight windows: spring IPAs, summer sours, fall pumpkins, winter stouts. Any delay in approval can push a beer’s launch past its season, undermining marketing and sales.

  • Supply chain interlocking: Ingredient imports, yeast procurement, packaging changes (if new label art or recipes), and logistics are often timed to regulatory clearance. Delays there cascade into production and distribution.

  • Margin sensitivity: Craft breweries typically run lean. A few weeks of delay can jeopardize cash flow, especially for smaller operations without deep reserves.

  • Three-tier distribution pressures: Because craft brewers often must move through distributors and retailers, downstream partners expect timely delivery. A delay in one link (label approval) can stall the entire path.

Recent shutdowns as precedent

In the 2019 federal shutdown, breweries found their seasonal releases held up. In the Philadelphia region, for example, breweries that had planned winter or spring launches were forced to delay or cancel new beers because labels couldn’t be approved.

Industry analysts note that during shutdowns, many breweries end up with “tanks full of beer they can’t release.”

The Brewers Association, reacting to the current shutdown, is advising brewers to expect immediate disruptions to labeling, formula, permitting, and that the pause may last for some time.

Distillers, winemakers, and crossover impacts

While this post is beer-centric, the parallels in the wine and spirits world help underscore how universal the regulatory risk is:

  • Distillers see the same freeze on label and formula approvals during shutdowns.

  • The wine industry notes that permit and label processing stops entirely, though excise payment functions remain.

  • The broader hospitality sector feels the ripple: delayed new product releases, fewer SKUs entering the market, and slowed innovation.

In short: The shutdown isn’t a minor inconvenience. It threatens growth, planning, and the very operations of craft beer producers across the country.


3. Pennsylvania Breweries: Facing the Shutdown in the Keystone State

Now let’s zoom in. Pennsylvania is one of the heavyweight states in craft beer. The stakes are high—and uneven across breweries.

The state’s brewing landscape (pre-shutdown)

To understand who’s most vulnerable, we need to recap how Pennsylvania’s beer economy stands:

  • Pennsylvania ranks among the top states in craft beer production and economic impact.

  • As of 2023/2024, the craft beer industry in PA contributed billions to state economies, with strong volumes.

  • However, 2024 saw some contraction: some of PA’s larger craft breweries reported sales declines, and at least 18 breweries closed in the state.

  • The craft boom in PA has also been tempered by saturation, competition, and broader market pressures.

  • Additionally, in 2025, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant (a multi-location brewpub chain that included ten in PA) abruptly closed all locations, citing financial challenges.

Given this backdrop, a shutdown may push already marginal players dangerously close to the edge.

Local precedents: how past shutdowns affected PA brewers

In 2019, when the federal shutdown paused TTB approvals, breweries in the Philadelphia region reported that seasonal launches were delayed or canceled. WHYY covered how Dock Street Brewery, for example, had new beer plans halted midstream.

Ted Zeller, General Counsel to the Pennsylvania Brewers Association, warned that without label approvals, beers can’t reach shelf or tapline.

These episodes show that PA brewers are not new to this risk—but this shutdown may be deeper, longer, and more consequential.

What’s different in 2025

  • Larger scale and more sophistication: Some PA breweries now operate regionally or nationally and often have tighter supply chains, making delays more damaging.

  • Slimming margins: With recent sales declines and closures, many breweries may not have much buffer.

  • Distribution complexity: Breweries supplying interstate markets will be directly hit if TTB doesn’t approve labels for out-of-state distribution.

  • Connected local networks: PA breweries often collaborate, co-brew, or share resources. Therefore, a shock to one node can affect others.

  • Media attention and local demand: As beer tourism picks up, local reputation matters. Delays or canceled launches may erode consumer trust.

Who in Pennsylvania may handle this better (and who’s vulnerable)

Best positioned:

  • Large, vertically integrated breweries
    For example, D.G. Yuengling & Son, with deep reserves, long operating history, and diversified operations, is better able to weather temporary disruptions. (Though even they are not immune—2024 saw an 8% sales drop for Yuengling.)

  • Breweries with stable, ongoing SKUs
    Brewers whose core lineup dominates their sales are less reliant on frequent label tweaks or seasonal launches.

  • Breweries with local focus
    Breweries that sell primarily within Pennsylvania and whose distribution doesn’t cross state lines may be less exposed to label/distribution bottlenecks.

  • Those with compliance and regulatory foresight
    Breweries that preemptively processed label changes, modular formula options, or prepared alternate versions may be more resilient.

  • Cash-rich or well-funded operations
    The ones with financial reserves to absorb a few weeks (or even months) of stalled product launches.

Most vulnerable:

  • Small startups and taproom-centric breweries
    New breweries relying on label and permit approval to launch or move beyond taproom sales could face crippling delays.

  • Breweries with heavy seasonal catalogs
    Those whose revenue depends heavily on limited releases (e.g. fall pumpkin ales) are in the crosshairs.

  • Breweries with narrow margins
    Those already struggling with rising costs, labor pressure, or debt burden will feel immediate financial strain.

  • Operators with heavy interstate distribution
    If their label approvals are stalled, they can’t ship new beers out of state, which may suppress growth or demand.

While I did not find credible published quotes yet from specific Pennsylvania breweries making statements about the 2025 shutdown, the patterns and warnings are consistent from breweries in other states and in prior shutdowns. The Brewers Association, American Craft Beer, and LibationLaw provide strong industry frameworks.


4. Historical Context: Shutdowns, Precedents, & Lessons Learned

To truly appreciate the severity of the current landscape, it helps to look back at how prior shutdowns have hit breweries—and what lessons can shape responses.

2019–2020 shutdowns and craft beer

The 2019 federal shutdown (Dec 2018 – Jan 2019) was one of the longer interruptions in memory. During that time:

  • The TTB essentially stopped approving new labels, formulas, and permits. Breweries were left waiting.

  • In the Philadelphia region, breweries canceled or delayed seasonal launches.

  • Some breweries reportedly had beer languishing in tanks because they couldn’t legally bring it to market.

The takeaway: even a few weeks of delay can derail a brewery’s schedule, cash flow, and consumer momentum.

Shutdowns during the Trump era & industry behavior

While not always explicitly tied to breweries, shutdowns under the Trump administration repeatedly spotlighted delays in regulatory agencies—a pattern breweries grew accustomed to treating as “business risk.”

Some breweries adopted strategies like:

  • Pre-submitting all anticipated label filings before seasonal cycles

  • Buffering product inventory before expected shutdown windows

  • Avoiding reliance on narrow release windows near the edges of regulatory cycles

These behavioral adaptations are relevant now as well.

Broader regulatory and enforcement shutdown history

Historically, during government shutdowns, many federal oversight functions roll back to bare minimums — public health, safety, and financial protection are prioritized, while discretionary functions halt. This has ripple effects in food, environmental, and industrial sectors. Breweries often live in that discretionary space (e.g. labeling, new product approvals).

Additionally, during shutdowns, the backlog and pent-up demand can swamp agencies when they reopen—leading to long delays even after funding is restored. That “catch-up hangover” is part of the real cost.


5. What Breweries Can Do: Mitigation Strategies & Prepared Moves

Even as the shutdown looms, breweries aren’t powerless. Below are actionable strategies to reduce risks and improve resilience.

Pre-shutdown preparedness (ideally before the lapse)

  1. File early and often
    Submit label changes, formula modifications, and permit adjustments before the funding cutoff—if possible.

  2. Submit “scalable” or modular label/ formula alternatives
    If your process allows, pre-file alternate labels or versions that require minimal changes so that small tweaks may sail through or avoid major rejections later.

  3. Stock up buffer inventory
    For key seasonal or high-margin beers, produce extra in advance so you have something to market while new releases are stalled.

  4. Reserve critical raw materials
    If import or customs delays might arise, have extra hops, yeast, adjuncts, or packaging materials in hand.

  5. Tighten compliance and audits now
    Make sure all existing labels, formulations, ingredients, and documentation are in order to minimize risk of regulatory flags when oversight resumes.

  6. Stress test cash flow
    Model scenarios: what if launches are delayed two months? What if some SKUs are stuck? Understand worst-case margins.

  7. Engage with trade organizations
    The Brewers Association, state brewer groups, and regional alliances can lobby, share intelligence, and amplify impact.

During the shutdown: defensive operations

  1. Pause new launches
    Don’t start marketing or production of new SKUs intended for release until the regulatory path clears.

  2. Pivot focus to core SKUs and taproom sales
    Double down on what you already can sell legally without needing new approvals.

  3. Communicate carefully
    Let distributors, retailers, and customers know there may be delays—maintaining goodwill is crucial.

  4. Monitor federal announcements
    Stay abreast of TTB, Treasury, and Congressional developments via official portals and trade newsletters.

  5. Document everything
    Track submission dates, label versions, formula data, correspondence—so when the agency reopens, you have clear records.

  6. Plan for extended backlog
    Anticipate that even after funding returns, approvals may be slow. Prioritize essential filings first and consider triaging less critical ones.

  7. Explore intra-state sales or local channels
    If possible under state law, sell more directly to local consumers or use taproom strength to offset distribution delays.

Post-shutdown: recovery & catch-up

  1. Push prioritized filings immediately
    As soon as TTB reopens, move critical filings (seasonal releases, revenue drivers) to the head of the queue.

  2. Reconfirm submissions
    Sometimes, during the pause, systems or databases may lose synchronization—confirm that your filings are intact.

  3. Negotiate with distributors/retailers
    Get buy-in for staggered delivery or alternate SKUs while the label queue clears.

  4. Leverage marketing flexibility
    Use the delay period to ramp up pre-launch hype so that once you’re cleared, demand is ready.

  5. Learn and adapt
    Use the shutdown experience to revise your regulatory strategy for future cycles.


6. Pennsylvania Breweries Best Equipped (and What They Bring to the Table)

Some Pennsylvania breweries are better positioned to survive (or even thrive) during a regulatory freeze. Below are illustrative types and examples, along with traits to emulate.

D.G. Yuengling & Son (Pottsville, PA)

  • Legacy scale & capital reserves: As the oldest brewery in America, Yuengling has operational depth and financial strength.

  • Core SKU dominance: They rely heavily on flagship beers, less frequent branding shifts, and have strong name recognition.

  • Vertical infrastructure: Large operations, distribution networks, and buffer capacity give flexibility.

  • Community and brand loyalty: Their historic brand status gives them a cushion when marketing or new SKUs stall.

While not immune to shutdown pressures—they saw an 8% sales drop in 2024—Yuengling is in a relatively advantaged position.

Tröegs Independent Brewing (Hershey, PA)

As one of Pennsylvania’s well-known craft names, Tröegs has a diversified portfolio, regional distribution, and a stable market presence. Their size and brand equity give them room to absorb delays. (Cited among PA’s top producers in recent rankings.)

Pittsburgh Brewing / Iron City

Pittsburgh has a storied brewing heritage. Pittsburgh Brewing (and legacy brands tied with it) can tap into legacy branding and local loyalty.

Mid-sized regional brewers

Brewers who have scaled somewhat—enough to maintain reserves, but still nimble—are in a sweet spot. If they primarily serve Pennsylvania or neighboring states, so long as label and permit issues are handled prudently, they may endure better than small startups.

Taproom / direct-sales centric brewers

Breweries whose revenue and brand come largely from on-site sales, community events, and local customers can sidestep some distribution and label pressures. While they still need regulatory compliance, their reliance on novelty SKUs is lower.

Traits to emulate (beyond names)

  • Advance filing discipline

  • Modular product planning

  • Cash buffer and financial flexibility

  • Strong local consumer support

  • Robust taproom and direct-to-consumer channels

  • Agile marketing and pipeline coordination

These traits help create a buffer against the sudden regulatory blackout.


7. Closing Thoughts

This shutdown is more than a bureaucratic freeze — it’s a stress test on how deeply entwined craft beer is with federal infrastructure. I’ve seen breweries born in garages and grow into regional legends; I’ve watched label art get revised, formulas rebalanced, and seasonal beers become brand inflection points. The TTB, often unseen by drinkers, is a silent gatekeeper. When it pauses, the gates slam shut.

Pennsylvania, with its brewing heritage rooted in Yuengling and vibrant craft corridors in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster, and beyond, is front and center in this fight. Some breweries will grit their way through with lean operations and agile pivots. Others may stagger. A few may not survive. That’s not alarmism — it’s acknowledging the unexpected: months of delays, a backlog of approvals, and consumer impatience.

If Congress and the White House manage to restore funding soon, we’ll see a mad sprint at TTB headquarters to clear the backlog. But that won’t erase the weeks lost. Breweries that had planned, built buffer, and stayed lean will have a head start. Those caught flat-footed will be scrambling.

To brewers in Pennsylvania: move carefully, prioritize your essential SKUs, protect your cash, and plan as though this shutdown could last weeks — or even stretch long enough to undermine your seasonal wheels. Trade groups, local MLA’s, and the Pennsylvania Brewers Association must be your ally. Use them. Stay vocal in public forums, media, and with congressional offices — your local voice counts.

I believe in the resilience of this community. Beer thrives on risk, on experimentation, and on the tenacity of people who wake daily to mash, boil, ferment, package, and sell. But risk without hedges is needless and preventable. Use this as a wake-up call: regulatory risk is real. Build for it. And when the breweries in Pennsylvania emerge from this shutdown, let the stories of adaptation, survival, and ingenuity be part of what defines the next chapter in American craft beer.

Raise one — cautiously, but optimistically — to better days ahead.

8. Sources

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server).

We also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written. The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

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PLCB Opens Bidding on 25 Expired Pennsylvania Liquor Licenses https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/08/plcb-opens-bidding-on-25-expired-pennsylvania-liquor-licenses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=plcb-opens-bidding-on-25-expired-pennsylvania-liquor-licenses Sat, 09 Aug 2025 03:51:39 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16556 PLCB Opens Bidding on 25 Expired Pennsylvania Liquor Licenses

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is giving businesses across the state another shot at securing coveted liquor licenses — often referred to as “zombie licenses.”

PLCB Opens Bidding on 25 Expired Pennsylvania Liquor Licenses

Yesterday, August 7th, bidding officially opened for the 14th auction since the passage of Act 39, the 2016 law that dramatically reshaped liquor sales in Pennsylvania. Among its many provisions, Act 39 created a way for the state to reissue expired or unused restaurant liquor licenses, which previously would have simply disappeared from circulation.

Where Are the Available Licenses?

This round includes 25 restaurant liquor licenses — one for each of the following counties:

  • Adams

  • Allegheny

  • Armstrong

  • Bedford

  • Berks

  • Bucks

  • Cambria

  • Carbon

  • Clearfield

  • Crawford

  • Delaware

  • Erie

  • Greene

  • Juniata

  • Lawrence

  • Lackawanna

  • Lehigh

  • Luzerne

  • Northampton

  • Northumberland

  • Pike

  • Schuylkill

  • Somerset

  • Sullivan

  • Wyoming

Each license comes with a minimum bid of $25,000, and as in previous auctions, the highest bidder in each county will win the rights to apply for the license.

How the Auction Works

  • Sealed bids must be submitted by noon on October 6th.

  • The PLCB will open bids on October 9th, announcing winners shortly after.

  • Successful bidders then have six months to apply for their license.

  • Payment must be received within two weeks of the award, or the opportunity passes to the second-highest bidder.

Past Bidding Heavyweights

In previous auctions, major players such as Giant Food Stores, Weis Markets, Sheetz, and Rutter’s Farm Stores have secured licenses — often paying well above the minimum to gain entry into select counties where licenses are scarce.

Before Act 39, the state had no system to re-sell licenses lost due to enforcement actions, financial failures, or other circumstances — meaning roughly 70 licenses “died” each year. Now, these auctions offer new opportunities for restaurants, grocery stores, and other hospitality businesses to expand.

How to Bid

The Invitation for Bids and full details can be found on the PLCB’s official website. Once there, scroll down to “Related Solicitation Files” to view the necessary documents.

Potential bidders with questions must email RA-LBLicenseAuction@pa.gov no later than noon on August 28th.


This PLCB license auction could be a game-changer for businesses looking to expand alcohol sales in high-demand Pennsylvania markets. With some counties historically seeing fierce competition — and licenses going for well above the $25,000 minimum — the next two months could prove pivotal for bidders hoping to tap into new markets.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server).

We also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written. The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Butler Brew Works Announces Taproom Closure https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/04/01/butler-brew-works-announces-taproom-closure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=butler-brew-works-announces-taproom-closure Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:58:38 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16192 Butler Brew Works Announces Taproom Closure

It always has to be hard to make these kinds of announcements on April 1st; just due to the immediate “this has to be an April Fools Joke right?” comments and responses. But; alas, no… this is no April Fools Joke. Today at 8:30 AM the Butler Brew Works Facebook announced that their tap room is closed until further notice. You can find their Facebook post here: Butler Works Announcement.

Butler Brew Works Social Media Announcement

Butler Brew Works Closed

You can read from their Facebook post here:

We apologize for any inconvenience, but our taproom will be closed until further notice.

-Butler Brew Works (Facebook Post)

As I alluded to above, most of the comments whirled around the “is this an April Fools Joke” with others refuting that – no – in fact its not. Despite Butler Brew Works not replying to the post themselves. There was one comment saying “not having a license can do that”, so I took a look to see, and found this: PLCB Status – Butler Brew Works. According to the PLCB; all four of their liquor licenses have expired. Two were for Brewery Storage, one was for a Brewery, and one was for a Brew Pub. All four have expired, with their last two expiring (Brewery Storage and Brewery) on December 31st, 2024. Meaning from January 1st until March 31st of this year they were operating without a license.

Their main brewery location was: 101 S Main St, Butler, PA 16001.

Their taproom location in Valencia was located at: 5031 Adair Ave, Valencia, PA 16059.

Both are already listed as “Permanently Closed” on Google Maps.

 

So it would indeed seem its hard to keep your tap room open when you do in fact not have a license.

Without operating with one for several months, and most likely getting caught and thus the shut down, I would hazard a guess that it might be quite a while til they re-open (if they do). We will keep you updated when we get more news.

More Information on Butler Brew Works

The following comes via Untappd.

Butler Brew Works is listed as a micro brewery located in Butler, PA. They have 219 unique beers and over 40,900 ratings with a global average rating of 3.74 (as of 4.1.25). Their Untappd description reads: “7bbl brewpub in Butler PA brewing adventurous ales.

You can find them on these social media platforms:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of April 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Urban Artifact Brewery Files Federal Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Over Online Beer Sales Restrictions https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/07/24/urban-artifact-brewery-files-federal-lawsuit-against-pennsylvania-liquor-control-board-over-online-beer-sales-restrictions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=urban-artifact-brewery-files-federal-lawsuit-against-pennsylvania-liquor-control-board-over-online-beer-sales-restrictions Thu, 25 Jul 2024 02:23:09 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15325 Urban Artifact Brewery Files Federal Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Over Online Beer Sales Restrictions

Urban Artifact Brewery, Cincinnati Ohio.

Cincinnati, OH – Urban Artifact, a renowned brewery in Cincinnati’s Northside, has taken legal action against Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board, challenging the state’s restrictive policies on online beer sales.

For nine years, Urban Artifact has been delighting customers across multiple states with its unique fruit-flavored beers. However, the brewery has encountered significant hurdles when attempting to expand its distribution to Pennsylvania, particularly concerning its monthly and quarterly club membership cases.

The crux of the issue lies in Pennsylvania’s stringent regulations. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stipulates that out-of-state breweries can only ship a maximum of 90 ounces of beer per month into the state. Additionally, these breweries must hold a retail or wholesale license – requirements not imposed on in-state breweries.

Jeffrey Jennings, the attorney representing Urban Artifact, argues that these regulations are inherently discriminatory. “What’s happening here is really unfair to out-of-state businesses. You shouldn’t be discriminated against just because you’re located in a different state,” Jennings stated.

Scotty Hunter, CFO of Urban Artifact, voiced his frustrations, highlighting the impact on small businesses. “We can only directly sell online to about eight states currently; Ohio and Kentucky are two of those, which is great for our region, but there should be much broader access, especially for a small business like us,” Hunter explained.

Urban Artifact’s lawsuit underscores a growing concern among out-of-state breweries facing similar challenges. The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for interstate commerce and the craft beer industry.

For now, beer enthusiasts in Pennsylvania may find it challenging to access Urban Artifact’s beloved brews, but the brewery’s fight for fair treatment continues, with implications that could resonate across the craft beer landscape.

Urban Artifact is located at 1660 Blue Rock St, Cincinnati, OH 45223. We got to visit their brewery back in November 2020 as part of my trip to and from Indianapolis, IN. Was one of my favorite breweries of the trip, and I was so glad to find them soon distributing to Pennsylvania (shortly after I got back home they started). (See: The Trip to Indy – Day Five Recap: The Start of the Return Voyage – Visiting Cincinnati and Kentucky (Taste of Belgium, Moerlein Lager House, Braxton Brewing, Taft’s Ale House, Urban Artifact).)

More Information on Urban Artifact

The following comes via Untappd. Urban Artifact Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Cincinnati, OH. They have 712 unique beers and over 443,000 ratings with a global average rating of 3.86 as of 7.24.24. Their Untappd description reads: “A Cincinnati, OH brewery dedicated to producing world-class Fruit Tarts with a singular focus—to reward the curious.

You can find them at the following social media platforms:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

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Necromancer Brewing to Close Temporarily https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/02/13/necromancer-brewing-to-close-temporarily/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=necromancer-brewing-to-close-temporarily Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:17:53 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14404

Necromancer Brewing is Temporarily Closing

Necromancer Brewing is Temporarily Closing

Necromancer Brewing just posted a little bit ago that they found out their liquor license was currently not in good standing (and hadn’t been since Friday), and so they are unable to make or sell beer (or any alcohol). According to their Facebook page they will be closed for just the remainder of the week.

Necromancer Brewing is just shy of three years old, and has made national news for their “Gayer” beer.

Necromancer Brewing is located at 2257 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

The Announcement

We learned on Friday evening that there was an issue with our liquor license, rendering us unable to sell (or package) beer.
We’ve been doing everything we can to find out what the issue is and rectify it; but have yet to be able to come to any conclusions.
And as bad ass and anti-establishment as we’d like to think we are, we just aren’t willing to risk it and will be closed for at least this week.
We are hopeful that there is a simple error or miscommunication occurring that can be quickly fixed, but if we’re honest we just aren’t sure how long this might take. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information, but for now just know that we appreciate you and your support and we hope we’ll have more info to share very soon.

Necromancer Brewing – Facebook Post

 

We will keep you updated as we get more information on their ongoing issues with their liquor license. Hopefully they can get this resolved quickly and efficiently.

Necromancer Brewing

The following information comes via Untappd.

Necromancer Brewing is a nano brewery from Pittsburgh, PA. They have 167 unique beers and over 20,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.89 (as of 2.13.24). Their Untappd description reads: “trends + familiars + resurrections ”

You can follow Necromancer Brewing at these social media pages:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You for Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Highway Manor Brewing Temporarily Closed For Remainder of 2023 https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/11/01/highway-manor-brewing-temporarily-closed-for-remainder-of-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=highway-manor-brewing-temporarily-closed-for-remainder-of-2023 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:48:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12840 Highway Manor Only Temporarily Closed

Closed? Permanently Closed? or Temporarily Closed? I guess it all just depends on who you ask. If you ask the owner of the brewery the answer would be “Temporarily Closed”; if you ask Google the answer is “Permanently Closed” and if you ask Facebook it would be “Complicated”.

After our piece – Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed – was published on October 26th, 2023, PennLive’s writer Sue Gleiter followed up and released her article on October 30th: Brewery in Cumberland County is closed for now.

Unable to get a response myself from Johnnie Compton III (who had previously reached out to me about the opening of Highway Manor – Highway Manor Opening in Camp Hill – as well as to do beer reviews for them); Compton did respond to Gleiter, giving her quotes for her article.

Despite no public announcement of any kind on any social media platform, despite the Google page listings and searches showing a “Permanently Closed” section for the brewery, and despite some really odd and troubling comments by people online, Johnnie Compton III tells Gleiter that Highway Manor Brewing is only temporarily closed, and that he is planning on re – opening in 2024.

Their liquor license as per PLCB ended in December 2022, and Compton is saying that he will be renewing it start of January 2024 and plans to reopen the brewery starting 2024.

Controversy

Firstly, let’s go over again the controversy during COVID. As stated in the previous article – Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed – Highway Manor Brewing had some “controversy” over signs they had on their door.

On December 27th, 2020; PennLive ran an article discussing how Johnnie Compton III took the sign down; primarily at the urging of his daughter.

In the most recent of pandemic-related controversies, a West Shore brewery owner has taken down a sign that brought allegations of racism to his door.

Johnnie Compton III, owner of Highway Manor Brewery in Camp Hill, said once the COVID-19 regulations hit his business, he and his staff put up “funny signs” to alert customers to their new methods of operation.Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’

The second shut down for restaurants, businesses of the social sort, casinos, etc; was done as a way to curtail problems with COVID – 19 that might arrive during the holiday seasons of Christmas and New Years Eve after Thanksgiving.

Johnnie had stated that he and his staff enjoyed putting up signs on their door, as well as internally during the tumultuous 2020 as a way to bring levity to the time. And with the second shut down, he was ‘agonizing’ over what to put up next when he thought of his “TO GO ONLY – BLAME CHINA” sign; thinking it was funny.

I’m sick of hearing about COVID.Johnnie Compton III – Owner and Head Brewmaster for Highway Manor Brewing

The sign was originally posted on Wednesday, which was the 23rd. Compton stated that only the day of the PennLive article did the sign go viral on social media. (But it seems the sign was both up longer than Wednesday, despite the article and Comtpon saying so, and that it made the rounds of social media sooner than had been stated as well.)

While talking about it with his staff, someone made a joke about the coronavirus coming from China, which Compton said is a simple fact. With that, came their latest sign:

“TO GO ONLY BLAME CHINA” with the taproom’s hours and Compton’s phone number listed alongside it.

While the sign went up on Wednesday, Compton said it was only in the last day or so that the sign began making its rounds on social media and people began complaining about it, with some calling him a racist.

One post viewed by PennLive said the person was trying to support local businesses when they saw the sign. “So ignorant and xenophobic,” the person wrote, adding they would not be returning.

Compton said people have been messaging and calling him, including a woman who called him at 9:30 p.m. Saturday to call him a racist.

In the end, he said he decided to take the sign down.

“People are misinterpreting it, clearly,” Compton said.Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’

Writing controversial signs certainly isn’t new for Compton at the brewery; previously he had written one sign saying: “Wear a mask by order of the Big Bad Wolf.”

For more information on the controversy, you can read the full news article here: Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’ by PennLive.

Comments, Reactions, etc.

After our story was posted and went onto social media, there were numerous remarks, replies, and comments from several people about the brewery. Most of them pretty troubling or at least interesting to say the least. Here is some snippets of some of the comments.

I stopped in a few months ago and the doors were locked and the lights were off.. no mention on FB that they were closed that day. Kinda figured this was coming.

Redditer – Mustang46L

I remember when they were only selling their beers in Philly and NYC. When we asked him why we can’t get it in Harrisburg, he said “Harrisburg isn’t ready for my beer”. Then he proceeded to show his ass during COVID times.

So I am not taking this as a huge loss.

Redditer – Ed5275

Guy has very questionable hygiene with his beer production. Also that manor was more of a crackhouse.

Redditer – clownus

This is my shocked face😐. Johnny has not exactly built up goodwill with anybody, always looks for shortcuts and has gone out of his way to piss off customers. Pretty talented brewer but just a terrible person and businessman.

Redditer – Live_Podcast_Junkie

I went there once last year and actually had a pretty good time with a few good beers and I tried going there earlier this year once and all the lights were off like they were closed at like 8 pm on a Saturday night which I thought was weird but the door was open.. I yelled in asking if they were open but got no response and left. It was definitely interesting.

Redditer

Google says open….. sign on door says open!!!! But closed!! UPDATE YOUR HOURS!!!!!! May actually have good beers ….. but I will never know!!!!! 5pm on a Monday!!!!!

Google Reviewer – Josh Elkins (3 months ago)

I’m confused why a brewery would put themselves in a position to only target a certain percentage of consumers in the area. We do not drink sours so will never visit and that could be the thought of other beer lovers. Just my opinion but it cuts revenue a good bit and that’s bad business. I’m sure the place is creative but as of posting this, the place looks abandoned and there are tons of others around.

Google Reviewer – Amanda McBride (5 months ago)

I really debated putting this review up, but I feel like people need to know about the owners of this establishment. An incident occurred while I was there that they drove their forklift into my unoccupied, legally parked car. They then tried to buy me off (at a discounted price of repairs, of course) and threatened my safety when I reported it to the police and insurance company. This establishment is shady at best. If you want to worry about damage to your vehicles and being threatened by the owners- then this is your place.

Google Reviewer – Lisa Rose (1 year ago)

I went there last Saturday around 1:00 PM and it was a confusing experience. The hours on the building said they were open, the door was unlocked, but no lights were one. There was a Futon mattress on the floor in a side room and no one was around. It looked abandoned, or closed for a while at the least. Not sure if this is closed permanently or what.

Google Reviewer – Matt Hendrick (8 months ago)

Stating its a Temporary Closure

In the PennLive article, Johnnie Compton III tells Sue Gleiter that its just a temporary closure. That he’s currently helping his family’s business – Miracle Steel, Mechanicsburg PA.

Highway Manor Brewing Co. at 2238 Gettysburg Road in Lower Allen Township appears to no longer be in business and is listed on Google as closed, but owner Johnnie Compton III said he decided to take a year off and will reopen in January.

“I was too busy,” Compton said, noting he’s noticed a rash of other breweries closing and many struggling to find enough employees.

Brewery in Cumberland County is closed for now – PennLive

The PennLive article doesn’t give much more information than that quote – which was added in the update to the article (original publish time was October 30th, 11:35 AM, and the updated time was October 30th, 5:53 PM). The updated edit byline states that the article was updated to include his quotes.

The remainder of the article goes on to discuss the start of Highway Manor Brewing, how it got its name, and how Johnnie Compton III got involved in sour beers and brewing.

Currently the business has made no public announcements of any kind about the business itself. Be it closed, temporary closed, or permanently closed. Their social media is still quiet, and their last Facebook post still remains the April 16th one. Their official website is still active, even including their “hours of operation”, with no word on any sort of closure.

For More Articles on Highway Manor Brewing

For More Information on Highway Manor Brewing

The following comes from Untappd. Highway Manor Brewing is listed as a micro brewery from Camp Hill, PA. They have 54 unique beers and over 27,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.69 as of 10.26.23. Their Untappd description is blank.

You can follow them on the following social media platforms:

The brewery’s location was: 2238 Gettysburg Rd, Camp Hill, PA 17011.

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

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We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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